The Cat
by blackjackkat
Summary: While doing some musing Francoeur encounters a cat.


**The Cat**

**Summary**: While doing some musing Francoeur encounters a cat.

Francoeur was a happy flea. Since surviving the encounter at the top if The Eifel Tower and later being treated by the Professor to retain his hulky humanoid stature his time was pleasantly filled from dawn to dust. During the day he fiddle on his instruments, hummed and wrote music, and spent time with Emile and Raoul. The two best friends had taken him under their wings and were determined to show him the best the human world had to offer. He watched movies with Emile and listed to the small man's wild imaginings. He tinkered with Raoul and helped him delivered packages. He loved flying through the twisted cobbled streets of Paris. Any chance he got to watch humans going about life was joyous to him. The rhythm and sounds of Paris fascinated him.

His evenings were taken up with singing, dancing, and playing guitar with his good friend Lucille at the Rare Bird. This was always his favorite time of the day. The joy in his soul he felt when he was able to perform alongside Lucille was something that could never have been even fathomed when he was but a tiny speck of a bug living on the back of a Monkey. It was something he often reflected on when Lucille and the others left for the night and he was all alone in the theater like tonight.

After seeing his dear friend Lucille to the door of the Cabaret and bidding her adieu he returned to a small backroom Carlotta had given him as a temporary living space. His friends were still trying to find a more permanent solution for the giant flea but he didn't mind his accommodations. His room was away from where any staff or visitors would wander and it had a high small window that opened just enough to allow the Flea fresh air. After entered and bolted the door, an action Lucille was very specific about doing this every night he retired, he shed his scarf, chapeau, and mask. Slipping off his gloves he went over to his small window and propped it open. Francoeur peer through the small opening and took a deep breath of the cool night air. He lit a small lamp and settled into a large somewhat broken down armchair with his Guitar. As he plucked at the strings his mind began to wander.

_Did_ his love of music come from a soul? If it did, did he have this love when he was clinging to the white fur of Charles? He knew his singing voice had come about due to the Professors Potions. But did it also set the spark deep down in his gut, did it give him the ability to play the piano and Guitar, and what about his dancing?

SMASH! CLANG!

This train of thought was derailed by a sound of trash cans and crates toppling over outside Francoeur's tiny window. The flea was so caught up in his reflections, absent mindedly strumming a melody on the guitar, he nearly hit the ceiling he jumped so high. Chittering to himself he set down his instrument and tried to peer out the window. He could see the top of a trash can, its metal top catching the back alley lights, circle and circle before coming to a stop. Francoeur smiled and chittered happily at the musical tone of the metal top on the stone. Whatever had toppled the cans was directly below his little window. He could hear it shuffling around but he could not see it.

Francoeur pulled away from the window. He wrung his two upper hands and glanced again at the window. Everything was new and exciting to the flea, he had a large curiously and he wanted to investigate. His friends would be unhappy if they knew he went outside alone, especially Lucille. He scowled and chittered disapprovingly at his desire to investigate and plopped back into his arm chair trying to resume his playing. His eyes shifted once again to the window. What his friends didn't now wouldn't hurt them! With a determined clicking of his mandibles he set down his Guitar and quickly donned his gloves, hat, scarf, and just to be safe, his mask. Quietly he slipped out into the back alley.

He picked up the metal top as he approached the toppled over trash cans. He tilted his head in curiosity as he watched bits of garbage being flung from the sideways can. Something was in there! Setting the top down against the building side, Francoeur knelt down and peered into the can. He saw something furry and chittered a questioning tone. The fur ball stopped its digging and turned to peer back at the giant flea with luminous eyes. Green eyes locked with Orange and the little creature trotted out toward the investigating bug.

Francoeur scooted back as a dirty, matted, black and white animal emerged from the can. He knew what this was, it was a cat! He chittered excitedly at the realization. He knew what cats were, he saw them in one of Emile's movies and lounging in sunbathed windowsills when traveling around Paris in Catherine II, but he'd never seen one close!

The cat regarded him lazily with cool reserve and approached the flea. With a bushy tail waving slowly in greeting it walked up to the giant and promptly rubbed against his pant clad leg. Francoeur tilted his face this way and that way studying the furry animal and let out a startled chirp when the cat started to purr. He got on all fours, lowering his face closer to the cat and purred back. The animal sat down under his gaze and regarded him with curiosity. He reached out and ran a pair of hands along the animal's fur. Even with the wadded mats the marred his neck and his sides Francoeur was amazed at the softness. At his touch the cat purred more and rubbed his face against the Flea's hands. Francoeur smiled and chirped out happily. Well, he'd investigated, now what?

Francoeur wanted to stay with the cat longer but he'd already done something he wasn't supposed to and it was late, he needed to sleep. Whistling out a long sigh he patted the mangy cat's head and stood up to walk back to the back door. As he opened the door he started and stared down at his right leg. The cat had followed him and had resumed rubbing against him. It let out a half meow and looked up at the flea. He made up his mind. Francoeur looked around the alley for any witnesses even though he knew there were none, then gave the cat a push through the door with the side of his foot.

The cat happily padded after the flea as he led the way down the hall and back to his room. Feeling giddy Francoeur couldn't help but glance back to make sure the cat was still following him every few steps. The flea opened the door to his room for the cat who strolled in without hesitant. Quickly he bolted the door and discarded his disguise in a pile. Chittering nervously to himself Francoeur watched as the cat investigated the small room.

With his cool green eyes the cat gazed around the room and sprang up into Francoeur's armchair. He circled once, twice, and then sat. The look on his face said "Yes, I approve I shall stay here."

The flea wanted to investigate the animal more. He wanted to untangle its fur, pet it, touch it's pink little feet, and get it to purr again but an unavoidable yawn escaped his mouth. He was tired from the second encore he and Lucille gave that night. Stretching his four arms above him head (as much as his height and the low ceiling would allow) he padded over to his simple cot and climbed between the sheets. Francoeur smiled and chittered happily to himself as he settled into a comfortable divet in the worn mattress. His mind wandered.

Did this cat have a soul? Did music live there for him like it did for Francoeur? Was talent trapped in its small body like it was for him? Francoeur let out an amused chirp trying to imagine the mangy cat disguised in a hat and scarf strumming a guitar and singing alongside him and Lucille. The vision vanished as a thought occurred to Francoeur. _Had_ it been trapped in him? He chirped softly and sadly. How much of what made Francoeur, Francoeur was actually . . . _Francoeur_? How much was the potion and how much was the flea? The bespeckled bug sighed. He didn't have an answer; no one did.

Just as he was about to close his eyes he felt a sudden weight on the mattress near his feet. With a chirp he looked down to see the cat padding over to him. The cat settled next to Francoeur's chest after making a large production of the procedure by yawning, stretching, and circling several times before finally settling. Francoeur curled up closer to the ball of fur and smiled as the creature began to purr again. The flea yawned one last time before purring back in response and falling asleep. Whatever percentage was potion and whatever percentage was the flea, Francoeur felt blessed.

The next morning Francoeur awoke to knocking on his door per usual. "Francoeur? It's Lucille, time to wake up. Come unbolt the door for me before I forget this tune in my head!"

Francoeur chirped in response and was about to toss his covers off then he noticed they were usually heavy. With a questioning whistle he investigated. There curled up at his feet was the cat from last night. His ears were perched but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge to the world that the knock had awoken him as well. Francoeur let out a flurry of chitters and ran a hand down his cheek. Oh no what now? Would Lucille throw the cat back in the alley way?

Alarmed by the sound of his chitters, Lucille knocked again more earnestly. "Francoeur! Is everything alright? Open up for me!"

Francoeur let out a reassuring sounding chirp as he slipped his legs out from under the sheets and stood up. Casting one more glance at the cat, Francoeur unbolted the door and opened it to allow Lucille to slip inside.

The singer's eyes did a quick sweep of the room before she reached up and clasped the flea's cheeks in her hands. "Are you alright?" The flea nodded and chittered in a reassuring manner.

Lucille released his face and smiled at him. "Don't scare me like that Francoeur! It wasn't too long ago that I almost lost you!"

Francoeur looked sad and chirped in an apologetic tone. He remembered all too well the sounds of the slim woman's sobs when she thought him to be dead.

"Raoul wants you for some deliveries but I want to catch your ear before he claims you for the day," Lucille said as she removed her wide brimmed hat and elegant white gloves. "I woke up this morning and this melody just sprang into my head I wanted to know—" The singer stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes having finally found the furry blob on Francoeur's cot. She looked from the cat to Francoeur then back to the cat. "Francoeur, is that at cat?"

Francoeur wrung his hands nervously and began chirping and chittering an explanation that Lucille would by no means understand. From his frequent gestures to the window and the cat's appearance she guessed it was an alley cat. With arms folded across her chest and one hip cocked Lucille asked, "Francoeur? Did you make a new friend last night?"

The flea nodded and chirped happily. He padded over to the bed and knelt down in front of the cat. He clicked and purred at the animal which finally decided to "wake up." It let out a lazy yawn and stretched out a paw toward Francoeur. He smiled and used one set of arms to pet the cat and the other pair to scratch him behind both ears.

Lucille came and sat down next to the animal. The singer was not entirely fond of cats but she could never deny her flea friend something that seemed to make him so happy. She smiled as she watched her friend dote on the small animal and said, "I guess the Cabaret has another new addition."

Francoeur looked over at Lucille and gave her a smile that painted his whole face with joy. Leaning over to address the animal she said, "I guess you need a name too huh?" The cat gazed up at Lucille as she pondered a name. "Hm… I can already tell. You're going to rule this place like a King aren't you? So we might as well call you Louie."

Louie the cat seemed unimpressed and went back to rubbing on the giant flea. Lucille chuckled at the pair then let out an "oh!" having remembered the tune she wanted to share. Chirping softly to himself as his friend hummed and sang out a melody Francoeur settled himself more comfortably on the floor. To his surprise and joy Louie followed and climbed into his lap. Francoeur was a happy Flea.

A/n :: Francoeur is adorable and so are cats so they work together, obviously. This cat is based on my cat who literally just showed up at the back door of an ASPCA all like "what's up? Got some food?" and walked right in. I was at a loss on how to finish this up neatly. I was going to end it right after he went to bed but it seemed too short so whatever I went a little longer. I wanted to keep it a one-shot. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
